84: Chapter 84: A boss at the level of a low-ranking official, does he even deserve to be called taboo?

As soon as Lin Qing's voice fell, An Mumu panted and wailed, "Master, I'm almost too hot to stand steadily!"

The silk short skirt she had just changed into was already soaked with sweat, the fabric sticking to her waist and legs, outlining her tight silhouette.

She tugged at her scorching collar, her palm futilely fanning the side of her face, but the air rushing back was even more scorching, and even her breathing carried a burning heat.

Piled in the corner were down jackets once regarded as precious treasures, which now looked like trash radiating heat.

Su Xixi leaned her back against the wall, and the moment her arm touched it, she shrank back as if electrocuted.

The stone wall was hot enough to fry an egg, and the palm of her hand gripping the hilt of the knife was covered in a layer of sticky sweat.

"Lin Qing, the temperature is still rising. If this goes on, half of us will collapse before the fight even starts."

"Rest assured, when the fight starts, I have my own arrangements."

Lin Qing raised his hand, and fifteen figures stumbled into the hall—they were precisely the members of Room 6002 integrated by Ruan Ruoruo.

As soon as they landed, someone hurriedly undid the buttons of their coat, sweat beads on their forehead streaming down their chin.

Lin Qing did not delay any further and quickly gave orders.

"Bai Nian, pick fifty people from the enslaved Combat Group. Those who can fight and are obedient take priority."

"An Muxi, Shen Zhiyi, Windsor, several of you, along with the girls from Room 6002, all stay behind."

Bai Nian nodded.

She turned and walked to the central large screen, issuing a recruitment order to the enslaved dormitories on the Ninth Floor.

The girls in the dormitory also quickly moved into action.

Some went to get weapons, some strapped on water bags, and others gritted their teeth as they put the scorching leather armor onto themselves.

Outside the door, chaotic footsteps gradually sounded.

In less than five minutes, the team assembled completely.

"Let's go!"

Lin Qing walked at the very front.

Core members like Bai Nian, Su Xixi, Su Mengmeng, An Mumu, and Ruan Ruoruo lined up on both sides.

Following behind were fifty members of the enslaved Combat Group.

...

Eighth Floor corridor.

Several survivors slumped against the wall like dehydrated fish, every single one of them with chapped lips.

Their clothes had formed white salt frost on them.

"Damn it, it's been so long, and there hasn't even been a breeze in the corridor. I might as well go back to the dormitory."

"Water... Who still has water? Half a mouthful, even half a mouthful will do..."

"I heard Room 9001 has water... How about we go up and beg?"

Just at this moment,

a series of footsteps came from the stairway.

Neat and uniform, carrying a murderous aura.

All moans in the corridor stopped, leaving only heavy panting.

A well-equipped team pushed out from the stairwell, with blade-shields in the front row and long spears and heavy axes in the back row, looking aggressive and formidable.

An Eighth Floor survivor swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his Adam's apple rolling.

"People from the Ninth Floor... Are they going to clear out the floor?"

"The one in front must be Lin Qing, who ranks first on the three leaderboards..."

The team did not stop, passing straight through the crowd and stopping in front of the door of Room 8008 amidst the awe-filled gazes of all the Eighth Floor survivors.

That was a Bone Gate piled up from ghastly white skulls.

A survivor instinctively shrank his neck and scrambled backward using hands and feet.

"They... They are going to mess with the taboo entity in Room 8008? How dare they... Are they crazy?!"

"Bai Nian is also there... Third on the individual leaderboard! Is she going crazy along with Lin Qing?"

In the corner, someone lowered their voice and chuckled softly, carrying gloating malice.

"So what if they have rankings? We don't even dare to breathe loudly when passing by the taboo on the Eighth Floor, the people from the Ninth Floor... are dead for sure!"

These discussions made several people in the rear Combat Group grip their weapons tighter, their breathing tightening by three parts.

Lin Qing stood in front of the Bone Gate without turning his head.

Between his brows, a wisp of black mist spread out.

The power of rules belonging to Mo Lingxue descended from his Heart Realm, transforming into a chilling black mist that rapidly expanded, instantly enshrouding the entire team.

The scorching heat brought by the endless day seemed to crash into an invisible wall and instantly dissipated.

The temperature within the team's perimeter plummeted, becoming cool and pleasant.

In the rear, a Combat Group member wiped the sweat from his face.

He looked down at the rapidly drying water stains on his clothes, a disbelieving whisper squeezing out from his throat.

"The heat... has the heat been suppressed?"

The Eighth Floor survivors were dumbfounded.

Separated by a dozen meters, they could clearly feel that the team from the Ninth Floor formed a cool world of its own, worlds apart from the "furnace" where they were located.

Lin Qing ignored the commotion behind him, raised his hand, and the suppressing power belonging to the Heart Realm descended directly, while he provoked the Bone Gate:

"Skeleton Monarch, I'll give you a chance. Submit, or be dismantled into materials."

Inside the door, it was quiet for half a second.

"Roar——!"

A furious roar that shook the entire floor exploded thunderously!

The Bone Gate swung wide open, and behind a huge throne piled up from countless pale skeletons, a massive figure slowly stood up.

In its hand, it gripped a huge bone scythe taller than a person.

Its hollow eye sockets lifted, and two clusters of deep blue soul fires quietly ignited, locking onto Lin Qing.

"A group of humble ants, courting death!"

The pressure of the Epic-tier peak descended crashingly.

Lin Qing's thought moved, and the authority of the Heart Realm instantly reflected into reality. Bearing the pressure, his tone was calm: "It seems you have chosen a dead end!"

Before his voice fell, the space behind him "shattered" without warning!

On the left was a golden fissure brutally torn open, with sacred light gushing out from it.

On the right was a pitch-black vortex spinning open silently, its pure aura of destruction chilling to the heart.

Seraph stepped out of the fissure in one step.

Gorgeous golden armor covered her whole body, and the pressure belonging to the Epic peak swept outward.

Mo Lingxue stepped out of the vortex barefoot, her animal-skin short skirt clinging to the sides of her legs, the crown pattern on her forehead lighting up, and the Legendary-tier rule power unfurled aggressively.

The Eighth Floor survivors could no longer stand; their knees went soft, and they slammed onto the ground in batches, supporting themselves with their hands, lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

"Hea... Heaven... Angel..."

"And that beast-eared girl... What kind of existence are these?!"

Lin Qing took a step forward.

"Merge."

Mo Lingxue directly transformed into black mist and surged into Lin Qing's body.

The Excellent-tier life level suddenly soared to the Legendary-tier.

The next instant, a pale golden halo exploded with Lin Qing as the center, instantly enshrouding the entire corridor!

All Combat Group members only felt a surging power pour into their limbs and bones!

"Battle Intent of Breaking Formations!"

Bai Nian's long sword pointed diagonally at the ground.

A huge battle flag with the character "Break" stood up behind her in response, fluttering loudly, gathering the scattered aura of the entire team into one.

Without waiting for the Skeleton Monarch to react, her sword tip pointed directly at the depths of the Bone Gate, her voice suppressing the sound of bone friction.

"Army-Breaking Mark, drop!"

A crimson-gold military rune tore through the air, ignoring all barriers, and nailed into the sternum of the Skeleton Monarch!

"Kill!"

Lin Qing only spat out a single word.

The moment the order was given,

Su Xixi's figure had already transformed into a sharp arrow, blasting outwards.

Su Mengmeng pushed her hands out horizontally, and the ice-blue frost Qi spread closely along the ground. Wherever it passed, thick layers of ice condensed on the ground, rushing straight toward the feet of the Skeleton Monarch.

Zeng Yulin swung her heavy hammer.

Grade A talent [Heavy Stacking Strike] activated.

Liu Shiyu raised her arm, and a [Hunter's Mark] closely followed behind the Army-Breaking Mark, landing on the neck joint of the Skeleton Monarch!

Golden light, frost Qi, battle flags, and black mist intertwined into a torrent of destruction in the small corridor.

The Eighth Floor survivors were already frightened out of their wits, crawling toward the stairway using hands and feet.

"Run! Run quickly!"